The light pillars were quite impressive. Image Credit: YouTube / Timmy Joe ElzingaAn unusual natural phenomenon was spotted over Ontario a week ago by YouTuber Timmy Joe Elzinga.These fascinating vertical columns of colored light were captured on a smartphone camera at around 1:30am on January 6th after the temperature had plummeted to -18 degrees Celsius.

"It looked almost supernatural - like some kind of intergalactic wars, with beams shooting down from the sky," said Elzinga. "I was able to capture these images both because the lights were so bright and pronounced and because I'm a bit of an amateur photographer."

According to NASA, the phenomenon occurs when flat ice crystals, which typically reside high up in the Earth's atmosphere, fall down closer to the ground. When these crystals reflect the light from sources on or near the ground they produce dazzling columns known as a "light pillars".